Again in a Heartbeat by Susan Weidener (A Review)

Again in a heartbeat . . . an ordinary turn of phrase. We’ve all said it. Some of us mean it; some of us say it jokingly.

Susan Weidener, in writing about her husband John and their life together, through good times and bad, means those words. In fact, she uses them as the title of her memoir, Again in a Heartbeat.

Susan’s writing style is comfortable and her story draws you in immediately . . .a young woman meets the chair of the English department at the military academy where her father had chaired the same department and went on to become dean. Immediately, the reader is caught up in the potential for romance, a life together forever, and dreams. Susan writes in an engaging manner of their joys and plans, of their intense love for one another. Their life together is so believable.

And yet it will come to be a story of love, loss and starting over again.

Soon, Susan and John are happy parents of two sons. But in the midst of that second pregnancy, something evil and daunting enters their life together, their family. John is diagnosed with cancer, and this uninvited guest begins to change the course of their lives forever.

Susan Weidener is not shy in sharing her most intense emotions during this time in her life. In fact, at times the rawness of her exchanges with John are almost unfathomable to the reader. You ask yourself how could she love him and say that? But the reader must remember, he or she is not at the center of the story. The writer is opening a door onto her story, and the reader is allowed a glimpse of what was.

Weidener takes her reader on a journey through serious illness, loss of John, and then to starting life over again on her own with two young sons. She tells this story with frankness and honesty, and anyone reading her words is soon awash with a sense of hope and promise. As the title so aptly states, Susan Weidener was willing to do it all over “again in a heartbeat.”

When the reader arrives at the last page, there is no doubt that Susan and John shared an incomparable love for one another, that Susan felt hope as she faced her tomorrows, and that this author has written a guide for anyone who has loved and lost.

* * *

In September 2012, the sequel to Again in a Heartbeat was published. It is called Morning at Wellington Square, the story of a woman’s search to find herself outside of traditional roles.

Post navigation

13 thoughts on “Again in a Heartbeat by Susan Weidener (A Review)”

Dear Sherrey, Thanks for this lovely review of Again in A Heartbeat. I’m always interested in how loss and pain can eventually result in survival and renewal. It seems like Susan’s book has all that and more.

Dear Madeline, thanks for your comments. Some of the memoirs I’ve been reading lately, including yours, have shown me that despite the tragedies faced, there is always in due time renewal and survival. I have seen it in my own family when my nephew was brutally murdered at age 40, leaving behind a young family, including a son. That son went on take his life. And somehow my brother and his wife did come through it all.

This is a wonderful review, Sherrey. I’ll definitely get Susan’s book.
Susan, I’d love to host you at my blog if you’d be interested in contributing to my series of stories about change. The best is to check out my introduction title CHANGE means…making a difference. I like participants to think about the changes in their lives in terms of the model to determine of which level change impacted them most.
Best,
Belinda.

Slowly but surely of late. I have been battling some health issues lately and am just beginning to feel better. Hoping to get back on track. I’m anxious to get your feedback on what I have so far one of these days. 🙂